


Closing Government

by Hana_Noiazei



Series: Debate AU [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe, DenNor, M/M, Platonic USUK - Freeform, debate team au, minor Casino Duo, minor gerita - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-09-18
Packaged: 2020-09-25 09:29:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20374528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hana_Noiazei/pseuds/Hana_Noiazei
Summary: As the new kid on the block, Henrik’s paired with one of the most skilled speakers in the team. He doesn’t realise what’s so hot about Stellan… at least, not until they finally get into a match.





	1. Prep

**Author's Note:**

> The format in which the team is debating with is the British Parliamentary style, where there are four teams of two debaters: Opening Government, Opening Opposition, Closing Government and Closing Opposition, and they compete for the best team. Closing Government is often considered the most difficult stance, as their role is to further and create a case superior to the Opening Government with very little time after the Opening Opposition's case.

“Check your roles on the board!” Ludwig waves his hands at the chart on the whiteboard, raising his voice over the ruckus. “I repeat,_ check your roles on the board_!”__

_ _ “Come on, everyone!” Feliciano claps his hands, jumping up and down next to the team captain. “Check your roles, then you’ve got twenty-five minutes to prepare!”_ _

_ _ Henrik, staring at the vice-captain and his gesturing at the board, feels his heart sink. His name is written right next to the role of_ CG GW_, also known as what Ludwig called the most difficult stance in British Parliamentary debate. The motion, ‘_This House Regrets the narrative of the college as the main path to success_’, doesn’t make his work any easier._____ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ Suddenly, Feliciano pops up next to him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Henrik! Excited for your first match?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ He nods weakly, staring at the motion written in neat letters on the board. “Ludwig said Closing Government’s the hardest stance in BP, though.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ “Oh, it is. Luckily for you, Luddy also got one of our top speakers to back you up!” Feliciano beckons for someone across the room to join him and Henrik, shouting loud enough to deafen him, “STELLAN! Please don’t go sulking off and come over to meet your teammate!”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ From the corner of the room, Stellan approaches them, clutching a notebook to his chest and staring blankly at Henrik. _ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ “Stell, this is Henrik. He’s our brand-new member and he got in CG, so you need to show him the ropes, okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ “Hi.” Henrik waves awkwardly._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ Stellan looks at him, then at his notebook scribbled with frantic, messy notes, but doesn’t say anything. Finally, he sits down in the seat next to Henrik’s, opening his notebook and gesturing for Henrik to sit down as well._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ He watches at Stellan writes down the motion on the first line of his notebook with elegant, sloping letters and starts defining it. “So, uh... I guess I should write down the definition first?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ Nodding, Stellan shifts his notebook so Henrik can read the two short lines, then continues writing down the burdens._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ “I-Is there anything I can do to help?” Line after line of burdens, the status quo and finally the beginning of their case appear in Stellan’s notebook. “You can’t do all of the work.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ He grabs Henrik’s notebook, hurriedly writing a few lines before thrusting it back to him. The words read, “write about a world where college is not seen as the main path to success. Talk about prices, demand for degrees, social stigma and the like. Let me handle everything else.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _ Flipping to a new page in his notebook, Stellan turns away from Henrik and continues writing rapidly. With a quick glance at the timer on the projector, Henrik picks up his pen and starts to write._ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Match

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s time for Henrik’s very first debate match, and he’s about to learn just how dangerous Stellan can be on the speaker’s podium.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Points of information are one-sentence questions debaters can ask their opponents on the opposite side any time after the judge has declared proper. Speakers are recommended to take only one point of information per speech, although some have bent this rule.

The timer ticks to zero.

The buzzer rings.

“All right, everyone!” Feliciano jumps up from his seat. “Time’s up, and our eight lucky speakers are going to come out and start the first debate this year!”

Staring down at his dull-looking notes, Henrik picks up his stationery and water bottle, following Stellan and sitting down at a row of chairs designated for the debaters.

He looks around at his opponents - he recognises none of them as the other students who tried out for the team. _I’m the only one newbie speaking today,_ Henrik thinks nervously, _just great._

The timekeeper, a committee member named Kiku, clears his throat and looks down at his notes. “Today, we’ll be debating on the motion, ‘This House Regrets the narrative of college as the main path to success’. Speeches are six minutes long, and points of information will be allowed after the first and before the last minutes of the debate. We now welcome the Prime Minister to begin the debate.”

The quiet _beep_s of Kiku’s timer sound as Ludwig steps out to face his teammates, holding a small stack of cue cards in his hand. He nods at Kiku, who starts the timer.

A small scrap of paper slides to Henrik. He picks it up, reading, '_make some extensions on the main points in Ludwig’s speech. Don’t worry about the clashes - I’ll talk about those._'

He looks at Stellan, already busy scrawling away in his notebook. Picking up his pen, Henrik looks at Ludwig, who switches to another cue card and continues speaking.

A bell chimes. Five minutes left.

Ludwig clears his throat. “There are many, many alternatives to college that provide students with an equally rewarding future, such as -”

Henrik winces as Stellan elbows him sharply, giving him a look that clearly says, ‘_write that down_’. The nib of his pen scratching over the lines of his notebook, Henrik feels his hand cramp as he tries to record everything Ludwig says.

“Trade school and vocational training, for example…”

Stellan’s pen cap flies across the desk and across Henrik’s notebook. When Henrik looks over to his teammate, he sees him writing so quickly his pen’s a blur, the page filled with nigh-illegible points.

By the time Ludwig’s done with his speech, Henrik’s entire page is filled with messily-written extensions, half-points and maybe-arguments and his head is spinning. 

“We now invite the leader of the Opposition side to introduce their case.”

The speaker steps out with lined paper in his hand, and at the corner of his eye, Henrik sees the girl in his team give him an encouraging thumbs-up.

_Beep_. The timer starts again.

He’s not as good as Ludwig, but Henrik can tell from how Ludwig and Feliciano exchange whispers that his words pack a punch. He hears Stellan flip to another page in his notebook, scribbling furiously as the speaker continues talking.

Like before, Kiku presses the bell, signalling the first minute of the speech to be over.

The speaker scans the bottom of his page. “Yielding high-income occupation in the STEM, medical and law fields, college -”

“Point.”

A chair scrapes next to him, and Henrik looks to see Stellan on his feet, pressing one hand on the desk and staring at the speaker. When he nods, Stellan asks, “according to that point, does that mean that the level of income is equivalent to that of success?”

For a split second, the room is dead silent. Then the speaker’s calm façade returns, and he says, “well, a well-paying job will ensure better material life. Continuing with my point…”

‘_Keep writing down Vicente’s points,_’ Stellan’s next note reads, ‘_make rebuttals if you can_.’

And once again, Henrik finds himself in a frenzy, keeping up with Vicente’s speech and grateful for how slowly he speaks. He sighs in relief as Kiku declares his time to be up, and Feliciano steps out.

He picks up the third note as Stellan continues writing out rebuttals. ‘_Feliciano’s a force to be reckoned with. Let me write down his points this time_.’

Looking at Feliciano, carefully placing sheets of colourful, highlighted paper on the desk, Henrik can’t see just how dangerous he can be.

Then he speaks.

It’s like being hit with a torrent, swirling and wild and uncontrollable, as Feliciano bursts into a wave of rebuttals, knocking down point after point like a sniper firing bullets. He waves his hands, sways from foot to foot, speaks with such ardour and passion that Henrik almost believes him. By the time the first minute is over, Feliciano’s rebutted almost all of Vicente’s case.

All the while, Stellan’s writing, his gaze burning a hole through his notebook and his pen pressing so hard into the paper it’s a miracle it doesn’t tear. 

Nobody dares to make a point of information, not with the rapid flow of Feliciano’s speech.

When Feliciano returns to his seat, Opening Opposition is in stunned silence. The vice-leader of opposition is taking notes rapidly, before Kiku clears his throat and she steps out.

A fourth note. ‘_Give a point of information in Madeline’s speech_.’

And, for the fourth time, Henrik picks up his pen and prepares to be thrown into a flurry of copying and countering.

He gives a silent prayer of thanks when Madeline starts her speech, finding it far slower and clearer than the past three speeches. Henrik listens, heart pounding in anticipation, as the bell chimes.

“Let’s take street cleaners for example, most of whom did not go to university. They’re usually seen as having a lower social status than, say, those with a bachelor’s degree.”

Henrik stands up, shaking slightly. “Er, point of information.”

Madeline lowers her notepad slightly. “Yes?”

“So, does that mean that success is measured by reputation?”

Stellan gives him a nod of approval.

“Thank you for your question.” Madeline waves for Henrik to sit down. “Regarding that, what I meant to say was…”

He sighs in relief as he slumps back into his seat, still feeling the rush of adrenaline from speaking for the first time in the debate. 

When Madeline finishes her speech, Kiku clears his throat. “The first half of the match has concluded. We now welcome the member of the government to begin his case.”

Sparing but a brief glance for Henrik, Stellan picks up his notebook and steps out to face the judges.


	3. Reply

Henrik’s heard stories of sirens, beguiling sea spirits who can lure men to their deaths with nothing but their voices. He’s always snapped the storybooks shut and laughed, wondering, _just who could be stupid enough to blindly listen to a pretty voice?_

He understands now.

Stellan is a siren on land, voice powerful and sing-song as he summarises their case and starts reading off rebuttals, weaving arguments into music and explaining, expressing, like a phoenix singing its lament.

Hands moving like a conductor’s, he speaks, words flowing like lyrics as he charms his way into extensions, swaying slightly like a reed in the breeze and head held high, engrossed in a dance of conviction and elegance.

Frozen in his seat, Henrik watches, as Stellan swiftly turns a page of his notebook and continues to talk, his sentences opulent. The judge, seated next to Kiku, busily writes in his notebook, clearly as entranced by Stellan as Henrik.

The spell is broken when the Member of Opposition jumps to his feet, asking a point of information that sounds downright barbaric when compared to Stellan’s words.

But Stellan dismisses him, waves him away with indifference and continues. His one-man aria goes on, and he once again captures the audience with his honey-rich voice.

Eloquently, he moves on to their points, somehow making Henrik’s scribbled thoughts sound like sugared seduction, sounding so confident, so sure that was Henrik not on his side, he’d believe him in an instant. 

And the speech reaches its climax, freezing and ethereal like a glacier. Deadly, beautiful, magical. Only when Henrik starts feeling light-headed does he realise how mighty Stellan is, with his captivating sorcery that could bend even the most hard-headed person to his will.

The conclusion is a gentle ending, the quiet roar of waves against stones in the dead of night, as Stellan finishes his speech with a quiet “thank you.” He returns to his seat looking exhausted, as though the speech itself took a part of him with it.

His words echo in Henrik’s mind, and it’s not until Stellan grabs his arm and pulls him to his feet does he realise that he missed almost all of Member of Opposition’s speech and it’s time for him to speak. Shaking from head to toe, Henrik grabs his notebook and slowly makes his way to the front of the classroom.

Kiku nods at him as he advances, a tiny, encouraging smile on his face. “Whenever you’re ready, Henrik.”

At the corner of his vision, Henrik notices Stellan flicking a finger upwards, silently telling him to stand straight. “Good luck,” he mouths.

After a deep breath, Henrik looks at the anticipating audience, tightens his grip on his notebook and speaks.

He’s nothing like Stellan, voice scratchy and mundane, reading off points like one would read off products on a shopping list. There’s no melody in his speech, only uncertain extensions and measly emulations of his teammate’s magic.

Still, he keeps his little ditty going, his speech like a heavy spell of rain that some might flee from and look at from afar. From his chair, Stellan surveys him, expression unreadable. His quiet scrutiny, though stone-cold, keeps Henrik going, and he continues, points falling like the dull pitter-patter of rain.

But with every rainstorm comes thunder, and that comes in the form of Government Whip, who slams his hand on the desk and shouts out a point of information.

For a moment, the rain stops. But Henrik sees Stellan again, and he shrugs, perhaps meaning, “take your chances. Just go for it.”

So he swallows, nods stiffly at his opponent and turns back to his notes. “T-Thank you for your point of information.” His rebuttal is paper-thin, barely there and downright pointless, but he can tell by how the judge nods that maybe it was worth it.

His voice shakes, his gaze blurs and he finds himself at a loss for words at times, but Henrik finishes his speech with a minute left and returns to his seat, feeling light-headed and heart about to jump out of his chest.

A note slides to him, and he sees Stellan look at him with an almost-smile. “ _Good job, _” the note reads, “ _you did well _.”

They spend Opposition Whip’s speech trading notes in silence, cooling down from the debate. When the judge ushers them out of the room to make his decision, Henrik almost collapses against the door. “Oh, gosh,” he chokes out, his notebook falling to the floor, “that was terrifying.”

“Hey, you were great!” A hand clamps down on his shoulder and Henrik turns to see Alfred, Opposition Whip in the debate, grinning at him. “Tons better than me during my first debate, anyway. I spent a whole minute just standing there, and when Feli asked me a point of information, I just froze!”

Henrik smiles despite himself and picks up his notebook. “Thanks, man. I’m pretty sure we’ll be in the last place, though. I really messed up our case.”

“You were good, that’s for sure.” Arthur joins his teammate’s side. “It’s pretty hard to believe that that was your first-ever debate.”

Stellan, quietly flipping at his notes, suddenly approaches Henrik and gestures towards the classroom. “Basch should be done with judging in a moment.”

And true to his word, Kiku opens the door only a few seconds later, ushering them back inside. “Great job on the debate, you eight. Now Basch, a senior member of the debate committee, will deliver the results.”

Basch, seated next to Kiku like in the debate, clears his throat. “The rankings, from first to fourth, are as follows - Opening Government, Closing Government, Closing Opposition and Closing Opposition.”

The team bursts into polite applause. Feliciano hugs Ludwig in victory, and they all get up from their seats to shake hands. Henrik finds himself smiling as he walks around the room, basking in his technical victory. _Second place in your very first debate _, he thinks, _not bad. _

“The role of the best speaker was difficult to decide,” Basch continues, “both Feliciano and Stellan were excellent speakers. However, after a lot of consideration, I’ve chosen to give this role to Stellan, due to his speech being clearer than Feliciano’s.”

Feliciano bounces over to shake hands with Stellan. “Good job, Stell! Your speech was so pretty, it was kind of like music, your style’s so cool, too!”

“Thank you.” Stellan grips Feliciano’s hand, lowering his head. “You did amazing, too.”

As Ludwig and Feliciano dismiss the rest of the team, Henrik catches Stellan making his way towards him. “You’ve got lots of potential, Henrik.”

“Uh… thanks?”

He holds out his hand, inviting and awaiting. “I look forward to working with you.”

He takes Stellan’s hand and shakes it. “And so do I!”


End file.
